Markets in the Middle Ages in South Wales: Medieval retail therapy

  Markets have been held in the Welsh Marches since Medieval times: this one, in Abergavenny has been on Tuesdays for nearly 800 years. We have a reference to it between 1256 and 1267 when Lord Edward was in possession of the lordships of Abergavenny, Monmouth and the Three Castles.          Recently some official (officious?) pronouncement advised the elderly that, when walking on icy pavements, they should imitate the gait of the penguin and toddle slowly, beak down and body bent forward. That is exactly how I proceed in a market so that I am sure of spotting any bargains whilst honing my bartering skills.
   Before the advent of markets, trade was more in the form of barter and we know that a good horse was worth 12 cows as was a quality hawk or a sword: the earliest mention of money in this area was towards the end of the 11th century when payment was in gold or silver or even in coins from Saxon England. An interesting cashless sale by 2 brothers in 740 was 500 acres of land between the Rivers Monnow and Wye in exchange for 24 cows, a good horse, a precious sword and a Saxon woman but we do not know who received what.

The growth and organisation of markets
   Towns grew up around the great castles imposed by the Norman conquerors in the Welsh Marches and provided defence as well as supplying goods. A chain of markets in these settlements evolved according to 2 different systems: the "trader" model and the "consumer" type. It is likely that the Marches combined both. In the trader model, local markets were held on consecutive weekdays within a day's journey of one another so that a merchant could visit them all in turn and stock up on Saturday at ports such as Gloucester.
   There were 2 circuits in Monmouthshire although they were probably not discrete: Grosmont held a market on Mondays; Abergavenny on Tuesdays; Monmouth on Wednesdays; Ross on Thursdays and Newent on Fridays. There was another market at Grosmont on Fridays, a Monday and Thursday one at Crickhowell and one established later on Wednesdays at Tretower. On a different route, Usk's day was Monday, Tryleg's Wednesday, Caerleon's Thursday and Newport's on Saturday, leaving Tuesday again free for Abergavenny. Where there was sufficient trade, markets could be held in nearby places on the same day (consumer model) and there were others I have not mentioned.

   Records for a comparable town (Newark in 1328) show that goods traded included: corn, salted meat and bacon, furs, sheep, goats, pigs, fresh meat, fleeces, tanned hides, cloth, iron, steel, tin, woad, wine, wool, fruit, nuts, timber, horses, hay, rushes glass, garlic, salt, firewood, coal, nails and horseshoes. To maximise trade, markets were placed so that travellers had to pass through them to go on their way and shops may have grown around them. The trade they engendered in the 13th and 14th centuries did not reach such intensity again until the agrarian and industrial revolutions. Records reveal exports, too, into England from Chepstow, Caerleon and Usk of salmon, oxen, pigs, lampreys, partridges, malt and vinegar.

Their place in the political structure
    Permission for markets and fairs in South East Wales was in the hands of the Marcher Lords (not in the control of the king as in England) and these happenings became part of a calculated political strategy for their emerging aspirations. Such commercial dealings led to great social change as surplus consumers and traders were brought together in a recognised place from which a ruling elite could draw revenue. This facilitated the funding of armies so that territorial ambitions could be fulfilled. It was therefore in the best interest of the lords to encourage an efficient system in their area and the process of establishing a market went along with the growth of a new town and borough. A lord would then have to co-operate or at least take into account the patterns of trade in a neighbouring lordship of which there were several in this area in that period. No point in disrupting a working economy!

   We still love a market and the bustle and excitement that a good one creates. Added to this we can enjoy a sense of partaking in a way of life that is hundreds of years old - and, as always in this blog, savour a large slice of CAKE after our retail therapy.

In the Tithe Barn cafe, Abergavenny

As these towns mostly grew up around castles, you might like to fit in a visit whilst you are there. I have written about Abergavenny Castle, Usk Castle and Monmouth Castle and there are also the Roman remains at Caerleon and fascinating things to see at Trellech (Tryleg.) Of the Three Castles, Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castles, I have, so far, covered the last.

Abergavenny - the Linda Vista gardens

A tranquil rest
 If you want a lovely place to relax and breathe mountain air in Abergavenny you could go to the Linda Vista gardens which are near the centre of this bustling town. There are formal parts and less cultivated sections where you can loll or picnic enjoying the sight of the Blorenge Mountain, which may have given the spot its name, translated as "beautiful view."

Origins
   The garden began as the private property of the Linda Vista Villa, built in 1875. It changed ownership several times before Abergavenny Council acquired it in 1957 to be transformed into a public park with added land to the west and south, the Castle meadows.
Planting 
   It has an intricate layout in the formal part and the quality of the planting is exceptional with a wide variety of trees and shrubs including (I am told by Oliver Barton) a Foxglove tree, an Indian Bean tree, a Judas tree, a Gingko, a huge old London Plane and a further range in the new Autumn Colour Tree Collection.  
   Landscape gardening went through several phases of fashion in past centuries and, although this is different from the work of Capability Brown, I was reminded of his words when he saw his work as akin to that of a poet or composer: "Here I put a comma, there, where it's necessary to cut the view, I put a parenthesis, there I end it with a period and start another theme." The emphasis is on the experience of the visitor and ensuring that it is harmonious and modulated.

Things to notice
   As you enter you will see ahead a wooden sculpture which depicts aspects of the history of the town. The middle section was of particular interest to me since it shows a treacherous woman supporter allowing Owain Glyndwr into the town which he then virtually destroyed. Scorch marks from his arson were found on the beams of the Tithe Barn during restoration. This might have been one of Capability Brown's commas and the full stop for me was when I sat on some pallets near the exit before realising that they are a bug hotel in progress!

Reflections
    I was aware, as I took my photographs last month, of what I believe was the habit of Victorians to look at a view with the aid of a wooden rectangle. Pointing my camera, I felt I was doing something similar and also was preserving all this for later just as Wordsworth mentally recorded his daffodils. A sonnet formed in my mind, partly because of the assonance in the name Linda Vista and partly because of the philosophical conundrum as to whether or not things continue to exist when unobserved by the human eye. Carpe diem when you are in a place like this.
                       
                              Abergavenny May

                     This breeze, sent down from mountains, calls the name,
                     breathes "Gerddi Linda Vista" to the flowers.
                     They whisper back, the message is a frame:
                     "You count millennia; we live in hours."
                      One plant claims a brief season within Spring;
                      another takes the Autumn by surprise.
                      Here are no masters and no underlings:
                      each has its day to seize our lazing eyes.
                      Captured in sunlight by my mental click,
                      they know I am a camera - so they sway
                      toss petal locks, give their green fronds a flick,
                      as if I've caught them in their negligees.
                         Yet, when I go, will they dance on and make
                         more moving selfies for the garden's sake?

   The gardens are open all year during daylight hours and open air music concerts held here as part of the Summer Festival.  Abergavenny is served by many buses: the gardens are a short walk up through town from the bus station and are located off the car park near Tudor Street. You are only 5 minutes from Abergavenny Castle where the terrible Christmas massacre took place.
   The 83 bus will take you to Raglan and its famous castle or further to Monmouth and its associations with Henry V.
 

The Abergavenny Tithe Barn

Tax dodging

   The word "tithe" derives from the Old English "teogotha" meaning a tenth and these were paid as a compulsory contribution of 10% by parishioners to a religious organisation or government, often in the form of agricultural produce which was stored in a barn and went towards the support of the village priest - who was exempt. Naturally this provoked anger as can be heard in the rousing harvest song from the 5th Act of Dryden's opera of King Arthur:

                 We've cheated the parson, we'll cheat him again,

                  For why should a blockhead have one in ten?

It seems that tax evasion was just as popular then as it is now!

  

Restoration 

   This 13th century barn in Abergavenny was in danger of collapse in 1948 when the parish sold it for £400 and, during its recent history, it has been used as a carpet shop, a store for timber and grain, a theatre and a discotheque. By the late 1990's St Mary's Church had the vision for it to become an amenity at the heart of the community and it has been carefully restored: during the 4 year process scorch marks left by Owain Glyndwr's arson were found.  Prince Charles visited at the beginning of the work and again at the end.

 For the visitor

   It now houses a museum, a learning centre with interactive displays, information about the Tudors, a superb tapestry, a cafe and shop where you can buy inexpensive items such as bookmarks for 20p. Entry is free. The tapestry was made from 400 colours of wool in special stitching to give a 3D effect and was worked on from Monday to Saturday, 10a.m. till 4 p.m. It took 3 years 10 months to complete (if a bit of needlework was not quite right, it had to be unpicked) but it was ready before the Barn was completely renovated. It depicts Abergavenny's landscape and history (imaginatively!) with the motto: "Hostes nunc amici" (enemies now friends).

Serendipity and calorie therapy

   I was lucky to hear an informative talk on this amazing piece of work and afterwards - you've guessed it - had a large slice of scrumptious CAKE. If you are also emboldened by gateau you may like to go on to the Castle and ponder the gruesome massacre that took place there in the 12th century. It is only a short walk. Before that, just across the path is the church of St Mary's where there are fascinating medieval effigies.

How to get there

   Bus information at the very bottom of the page. The Barn is a few minutes' walk from the main bus station  at the bottom of town which is (though we don't mention this) next to a large car park.

For opening hours click here

Abergavenny Market

Retail therapy

Abergavenny is a bustling town served by lots of buses. The covered market is a great place to browse and then buy when you realise that there are so many things in life you didn't know you needed - but all excellent value! From shoelaces to jewellery, from meat to bread through veggies and chutneys, from CD's to clothing and bric a brac ... I could go on and on. The main market is on Tuesdays but there are also good displays on Fridays and Saturdays.


And afterwards
You could also visit the Tithe Barn - it's free.